As we all continue our social distancing, and during those cherished walks outside, many are now facing seasonal allergies on top of everything else! Our yoga practice can help to relieve symptoms, and also help reduce the intensity of future attacks.
Patanjali speaks of pains that can and should be avoided are the ones that are yet to come. PYS 2.16 We should do everything to bolster up our breathing systems when we are well – like making an insurance payment.
Patanjali also says that labored breathing along with sorrow, despair, and an unsteady body will distract our efforts to know our consciousness. PSY 1.31 Even more reason to keep up our asana and pranayama practice. Less sorrow, despair, shaky body, or labored breathing seems like a good thing to work on now and always.
Sometimes breathing is restricted due to congestion in the nasal and sinus pathways, other times the throat and/or lungs seem to be the problem. The irritant could be allergens, or some other virus or infection. When using yoga therapeutically we have to have a phased sort of approach. If the problem is active, we need to practice relieving the obvious symptoms. But if the problem is dormant, mild, or recurring we can phase in a more active practice to strengthen our selves.
The practice sheet has within it a restorative sequence to help ease breathing difficulty, as well as a big forward bend sequence. You can edit the groups of poses based on your energy level and time.
Dear Laurie
Surgery yesterday so I am back on the path to Adho Mukha! and maybe one day full arm balance. I had been enjoying as much of the virtual sequences as I could do ,making substitutions as necessary. They have been wonderful. The “drop in” check is in the mail.
I’m glad the sequences are working for you Cynthia. Let’s hope one day soon we can all be inside AASY together again.
I am so grateful for these sequences. Even with “all this time on our hands” I find myself unable to really concentrate for long periods of time. Making up a sequence of my own seems to take up all the energy to actually do the sequence. I also find my creativity lagging. These sequences are truly a gift. Thank you so much!
I am looking forward to engaging in this practice shortly. I love the idea of prone Savasana. In the world of medicine, sometimes when people have respiratory challenges we put them in a prone position to optimize breathing ease and lung inflation.
Hi Susan,
I think it’s a pretty big sequence when you try the whole thing. For me, the long forward bends trying to stay quiet and also firm in the legs that are really stretched, AND breath in the back really tires my legs, so the inversions are a challenge holding the legs still firm. But I like the whole idea of using the back more for the breath than always trying to open the front chest. (also worth doing of course)
Wow – this sequence took every prop I have in my yoga room, but it was worth it! I really enjoyed seeing the difference between the “Supta” breath work and the “Adho” breath work so close together. The hardest thing for me is to not try so hard doing the patterns. I will be doing this sequence often and working on more finesse.